Museu Militar

Anyone with an interest in Portuguese military history will be fascinated by this engaging museum. The building stands opposite Santa Apolónia railway station, on the site of a 16th-century cannon foundry and arms depot. The comprehensive collection of arms, uniforms and historical documents and curios charts the country's various military campaigns from the late 15th century through to World War I, but the display also focuses on the evolution of weapons in Portugal, from the Stone Age to the invention of the rifle. The Vasco da Gama room houses a fine collection of cannons, and there's a hall dedicated to the Peninsula wars. Elsewhere, dramatic wall murals and other artifacts illustrate episodes from the Great War.